Cry the Beloved country

Cry, the Beloved Country
and the Bible


The 1940’s Novel Cry, the Beloved Country written by Allan Paton has an obvious religious significance. The main character, Stephen Kumalo, is a parson; thus, it is inevitable that the bible will be part of this character and will be brought up on several occasions. Often times, Kumalo is depicted reading his bible when he is in search of solace; for example, when he is on his way to Johannesburg. The supporting characters such as Father Vincent and Reverend Theophilus Msimangu are also symbols of deep religious presence in the book. Many of characters, both significant and otherwise, have names that are from the bible, Absalom, Steven and Peter.
This book portrays principles that are taught in the holy bible. Instead of supporting a specific belief, Paton implies the spiritual morals of forgiveness and love as an essential mechanism of any resolution to the ethnic mixture in South Africa. This is quite clear if a study of the...